


Nothing to be thankful for (Except for you)

by spacegirl11



Category: Guns N' Roses
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27600488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacegirl11/pseuds/spacegirl11
Summary: Duff has been laughing at the ad for the past five minutes; it even had the guy's number attached at the bottom near the obscene drawing of a disembodied penis ejaculating; this has to be a joke.
Relationships: Duff McKagan/Axl Rose
Comments: 22
Kudos: 32





	1. Only Angel

**Author's Note:**

> I know Thanksgiving it's next week, but I wanted to write something so bad inspired by that ad on Craiglist where a guy pretends to be your date, and the rose bros fitted perfectly with that, so the rest is history; also it helped to get into the mood for the upcoming month, extra kudos if anyone gets the Buffalo '66 reference, recently I've been watching too many of Christina Ricci's films.  
> Stay safe, and thanks for reading💜💜

_It's Thanksgiving. Want 2 skip that long, insulting conversation about how ur still single? About how ur parents really want more grandchildren? Well, look no further! I'm the right guy._

_I am a 25 y.o who lives with a roommate and my two cats with no high school degree, used 2 be a felon back in my hometown, I can play anywhere between the ages of 20 n' 29 depending on if I shave. Currently working at a dive bar n' sometimes sing at restaurants n' weddings._

_If you'd like to have me as ur strictly platonic date for Thanksgiving, but have me pretend 2 be in a very long or serious relationship with you, 2 torment ur family, I'm game._

_I can do the following things, at ur request:_

  * _openly hit on other female guests while u act like u don't notice._
  * _start instigative discussions about politics and/or religion._
  *   
_propose 2 you in front of everyone._
  * _pretend 2 be really drunk as the evening goes on (I drink. A lot. too much in fact)._
  *   
_Start an actual, physical fight with a family member, either inside or on the front lawn for all the neighbors to see._



_(I require no pay but the free meal I will receive as a guest!)_

Duff has been laughing at the ad for the past five minutes; it even had the guy's number attached at the bottom near the obscene drawing of a disembodied penis ejaculating; this has to be a joke.

Maybe he shouldn't have drunk the entire bottle of vodka, no matter how much Slash dared him. But, hey, a bet was a bet, and Duff McKagan was no chicken. The floor hadn't stopped spinning under his feet and the lights appeared to be dancing in front of his eyes.

Duff's leaning against Slash, his arm tightly around the smaller boy's shoulders, leaning all his weight on his friend; he's a cuddly drunk, can't help it, and Slash is more than used to the drunken love confessions.

The brunet regains his breath, Slash is crying from laughing too hard, eyeliner running down his cheeks, and the star earring that dangles from his left ear sparkles under the streetlamps.

"Dude, you have to take him to your family; your ma's gonna have a heart attack" Slash holds his middle, it hurts, and he rubs at his eyes. He tears the ad, folding it clumsily, and leaves it in the back pocket of his jeans.

It sounded like a fan-fucking-tastic idea, with the holidays approaching fast. Duff is tired of his mom asking about when he is going to bring a nice girl home and how being a musician will not get him anywhere every time she calls.

They arrived at the apartment singing loudly and stumbling through the stairs; how they manage to climb to the third floor without splitting their skulls open, Duff has no idea, but he's counting his lucky stars.

The neighbors are going to complain, and they will not hear the end from their landlord, but at least Slash is not throwing up his guts or pissing on old Doris's flower pots outside her door.

The blond barely makes it to his bed and collapses unceremoniously on the pile of clean clothes he forgets to fold, his face squished against the mattress; Slash moves around the bedroom and dumps the telephone on the mattress, Duff peels one eye open and groans.

"Call him, dude, maybe he's already booked for thanksgiving," Slash plopped down beside him; his nails were painted blue, nail polish already chipped at the tips, his wild sweaty curls sticking out in every direction.

"Dude, any sane person will not be awake at 4 in the fucking morning." Duff made his yellow fringe aside and tried to glare at his friend, but the guitarist beamed at him, his full lips curving in a drunken grin.

Slash pulled the crumpled ad from his pants, and before Duff could protest, the bastard was dialing the number and thrusting the speaker into the blond's hands, bolting up from the bed, hiding behind the door's frame.

Duff could still see the mass of thick, black curls peeking from his hiding spot; he rolled his eyes; the constant beep on the other side of the line made his heart palpitate fast. He toyed with the cord, twirling it around his finger. The blond swallowed and smoothed his hand over the wrinkles of the comforter.

" _Please don't tell me you got arrested again, Stradlin._ " a deep voice answered, echoing through the line; Duff froze and opened his mouth, the words stuck in his throat.

That voice doesn't sound like some 25-year-old guy; perhaps it was a fat man in his forties trying to scam dumb people like him because he couldn't handle the pressure from his family.

"No... I'm not Stradlin. My friend and I saw your ad outside the Roxy, about the fake dating thing." Duff ran a hand through his blond locks, scrunching his face; he probably sounded so pathetic; on the other end, the man laughed loudly.

"Holy shit, I thought no one would call" again he laughed, and it might be the lack of sleep, the alcohol, or the embarrassment, but it sounded like a pleasant laugh; Duff shook his head. A flush crept across his cheeks. "I'm available if you want to know. I just have to find someone to take care of my babies."

"Great! I. I mean awesome, dude, you have no problem in me being a guy?" Duff bites his bottom lip; god he didn't want to sound that desperate. Slash grinned, giving him a thumbs-up, peeking his head in the room.

"Is it going to piss your parents off?" asked the voice at the other end, sarcastically. His voice was deep, low, and it left Duff feeling goosebumps on his arms and a warmth spreading through his chest; the blond hummed, "Then I'm game, dude, no problem."

Duff hanged up, and the curly-haired boy laughed, throwing his head back, his hair bouncing; the blond flipped him off and plopped on the bed.

"I didn't tell him my name," Duff slurred, not sure if Slash was still in the room or even awake; he fell asleep immediately; he didn't even bother to take his cowboy boots off or remove his eyeliner.

**. . .**

After an embarrassing second call, Thanksgiving day rolled around and Duff found himself outside the airport, Showered, dressed sharply, and waiting for his mysterious fake date.

His palms were clammy under the leather gloves he wore. The blond was so fucking nervous; he kept fidgeting with the padlock around his neck; all he knew was that his name is Axl.

He kept tapping his foot over the concrete of the sidewalk nervously, his date's late, and Duff doesn't want to miss the damn flight, talking about the mysterious man, he might well as well have a glass eye or wear an eyepatch. Duff didn't mind, but the uncertainty was eating at his insides; the small suitcase rested on the ground, and he had the plane tickets under his armpit.

His mom was kind enough to send him money to buy the tickets. He will not drive all the way to Seattle, and Duff knows his 'date' doesn't own a car; he crossed his arm and nibbled on his bottom lip, leaving it red and swollen.

A beat-up red Chevelle parked in front of him, blaring The Rolling Stones, and sex on two legs stepped out of the old car.  
It made Duff think he belonged on the cover of a magazine, like the ones he kept hidden under his mattress with boys looking directly at the camera, half-lidded eyes and sporting a lascivious smirk.

'Axl' was no forty-something fat guy. This dude was slender, shorter than him, way shorter than him, with glossy red hair teased high with what must have been more than a can of hairspray.

He wore tight leather pants that left nothing to the imagination, and a matching pink shirt tied in a knot, revealing a soft chest and... wait, was that a nipple piercing? His mother's going to kill him. At least, a silver cheap cross dangled from his neck.

Duff watched as he walked in slow motion; that might be a trick of his brain. The aviators obscured his eyes, and it unnerved him he couldn't make eye contact with him, this young man was a walking, talking wet dream, only Duff's wildest dreams could concoct.

"I believe you are Duff," Axl made a strand of his hair aside with a movement of his head; he jingled with every move because of the bracelets around his skinny wrists. His voice sounds even better in person than behind the phone.

He took off the sunglasses and left them on top of his head; the bassist's breath hitched; Axl had greenish-blue eyes like the raging sea; he even wore damn shiny eyeshadow and curled his golden eyelashes.

Axl eyed him expectantly, raising an eyebrow, crossing his arms, and jutting out his hip; fuck, fuck, Duff could see the V shape in his hips. It would be a federal offense to not acknowledge this Axl fellow as the most handsome boy he saw in his lifetime.

"Yeah, sure it's me," Duff answered quickly, and he extended his leather-clad hand, grateful that the redhead couldn't feel his sweaty hand.

Someone inside the red Chevelle cleared his throat, it was a guy with jet-black hair cascading down his shoulders, wearing a white flowy shirt and a black vest.

Sunglasses resting on the bridge of his imperfectly perfect nose, a cigarette burning up between thin lips, he looked like he stepped out of a damn Fleetwood Mac video.

"You're gonna be ok, Billy?" spoke the guy; Duff could feel his eyes burning holes through his body, although he didn't know if he was looking directly at him.

"I'll be fine, Stradlin, now scram, if you see dear daddy tell him I say hi and give him this" Axl flipped him off, and the brunet chuckled, shaking his head; he glanced again at Duff before putting the key in the ignition and speeding away.

So that must be 'Stradlin' it's good to know he wasn't arrested, Duff watched the red car getting lost among the other cars on the highway.

"You expect me to take you home dressed like that?" Duff clutched at his chest dramatically and smiled, trying to ease the tension. The redhead's lips curved, and he took a little pride in making him smile.

"Hey, Barbie and Izzy helped me do my makeup. It takes a lot of effort to make me look this good, be grateful I don't end up looking like a lesbian; you look worse than me, dumbass," Axl rolled his eyes and fixed the straps of his backpack.

"I was just kidding; you look great, all for the sake of pissing my mom off," Duff shrugged and smiled nervously.

"You didn't tell me if you wanted me to keep the beard, so I shaved. Well, sweetheart, let's get this thing rolling." Axl blurted out nervously, patting the blond's shoulder; it made Duff a little more comfortable, knowing he wasn't the only one worried.

Duff didn't acknowledge the fact that the way Axl said 'sweetheart' made his heart pump faster; he tugged at the collar of his polka dot shirt.

They entered the airport, and Duff felt a little more confident; as expected, it was full to the brim with people trying to get on their flights and be with their families; Axl spotted a photo boot and tapped at the blond's shoulder.

"We could take some pictures, so this whole thing looks more believable. Maybe you can send 'em to your family on Christmas; it would be a shame if you 'broke up' with me before the holidays." Axl quipped, looking at him and cocking an eyebrow.

It sounded like a good idea to Duff. It wasn't related to the fact that he wanted to keep pretending they were dating.

Duff fixed his hair in front of the little mirror outside the photo booth; his brown eyes make contact with the pale green of Axl's. The redhead found it rather cute how he mused his hair and look at it from different angles.

The blond emulated Paul Simonon's style, but on him, it looked so effortlessly cool, with his bleached hair and that patch of dark strands; his style said: 'I woke up like this' and everyone else had to deal with it. 

"You look good, blondie, now gets inside if we don't want to miss the flight," Axl pushed him playfully inside.

The blond got inside the small booth; he suddenly found himself with his lap full of the redhead. Duff could smell the pleasant odor of his cologne and Duff fanned himself, shifting his glance around the booth.

"Ok, so we are a couple, pretend you like me." Duff pleaded and laughed nervously, putting the two-dollar bill on the slot.

Axl smiled and sneaked his arm around Duff's shoulders; the blond tried to relax and be collected, prayed to whatever deity under the sun the redhead wouldn't notice how flustered he was.

The redhead made his blond locks aside and placed his slightly dry lips over the skin of his temple in a chaste kiss, Duff bolted up, almost throwing Axl to the ground. The blond's eyes widened and his jaw went slack.

Axl smirked, satisfied, and grabbed the photos from the slot once it was ready, examining them. The blond even looked good with the crappy quality of the camera from the booth, the audacity of the fucker; he tucked them safely in the secret pocket of the blond's denim jacket.

"Oh, you closed your eyes; be sure to send 'em on Christmas or something, so your family won't bother you," Axl winked and brushed past him.

They boarded, Duff felt a cold sweat spreading through his body, and the floor gives under his weight, leaving him a little lightheaded, his chest feeling heavy.

Two long days awaited for him; it scared him shitless all the things that could go wrong; his mother could kick him out, or she could never want to see him again.

This was all a bad idea; he shouldn't have listened to Slash or let his drunk self-make important decisions like this one. As far as he knows, everything could go wrong, and it was too late to regret everything.

"I think we need to know each other in case mom makes questions, you know, the basics," Duff informed once he was seated; he felt too cramped in the seats, his knees bumping against Axl's. He hit his head on the compartment above.

"Sure, I like long walks on the beach at sunset, the warm weather, candlelit dinners, Robert DeNiro's movies, and getting blackout drunk five times a week," Axl stated sarcastically, a smirk plastered on his lips, accentuating his already sharp cheekbones.

Duff's brown eyes looked at him deeply, and his smile fell to the ground; Axl felt guilty, he really looked interested in knowing a little about him. The redhead cleared his throat, trying to dismiss Duff's pained puppy face.

"I'm talking seriously, man. I'll start then; my real name is Michael but, hardly anyone in my family calls by that, so don't worry, I play bass in a band, I wanted to be a brain surgeon, I dropped out of high school and believe it or not I was the first in my class. Prince is the best musician out there and, no one could change my mind." 

Duff deadpanned and smiled, focusing on Axl, who looked outside the window, to the drifting clouds, coughing in the back of his hand.

"Prince, seriously? You haven't heard Elton John; you're missing out. Just call me Axl, originally from Indiana, I do enjoy walks on the beach and Robert DeNiro's movies, I collect guns and, my favorite sport, it's sex," 

The redhead shot him a lecherous smile, wiggling his eyebrows.  
It was enough; Duff didn't want to appear nosy. He just met the guy; the blond tried to relax on his seat, resting his head against the back, sighing and crossing his arms.

The taller boy let the redhead sitting next to the window; he feared heights and sitting next to the window gave him anxiety. 

He tried to breathe through his nose and think about something else to keep his focus. It didn't help that, apparently; they were experiencing minor turbulence, the voices from people nearby were getting at his nerves.

Duff took little sips from the water bottle, barely wetting his lips, so he wouldn't have to get up and use the toilet; he pulled at the collar of his shirt and fanned himself, closing his eyes and tried to sleep, huffing, his right leg jittering nervously.

"Hey, you ok?" Axl searched for his face, Duff admitted defeat and shook his head, his face was flushed and he had trouble breathing "You didn't tell me you're afraid of heights; what a terrible boyfriend I am."

Axl tilted his chin so his green-penetrating eyes could see him; Duff concentrated on the shade of his eyes; the little blueish specks glistened under the artificial lights of the plane; they looked like a pale aquamarine; not even the teasing made him feel better, but he appreciated the effort.

"Hey, hey look at me; I'm ok, you're ok, we're all ok, concentrate on my breathing" Axl inhaled and exhaled until Duff's breathing matched his, a gentle smile on his lips, his slender fingers slithered until he interlocked their hands together.

Duff squeezed his hand and felt more relaxed. He didn't know what Axl did, but it had a relaxing effect on the anxious blond.

"Just breathe" Axl gazed at him tenderly; no judgment clouded his features; his breathing came back to normal. Duff didn't let go of the redhead's hand, giving it a light squeeze every time the plane moved and Axl would squeeze back.

Once they landed, Duff let out the longest sigh and, if Axl wasn't with him, he would kneel and kiss the dirty ground. He restrained himself, and instead, thanked to whatever god he was alive, and in one piece, he noticed Axl was shivering and the blond took his denim jacket off and placed it on his bony shoulders.

"You've never been to Seattle?" Axl shook his head and wrapped the jacket tighter around his slender frame.

Axl took a deep breath and got in his rebel boyfriend mindset; he was born to piss parents off; Duff looked among the crowd for the faces of his relatives. His mom and older brother, Bruce, were supposed to pick them up.

"You ready for this?" Duff asked; the redhead winked at him and flashed him a seductive smile.

His gaze danced around the unknown faces of the people crowding the airport; when he spotted them, his brown eyes sparkled, and Axl never saw something cuter than that. The guy was a giant but a big softie inside; he probably wouldn't hurt a fly even if he tried.

"Duffy, you made it, we've been waiting for more than an hour" Marie planted an affectionate kiss on his cheek, Duff leaned a little so he could wrap her arms around her, Bruce gave him a clasp on his shoulder before he grabbed his suitcase.

Axl stood a little farther away, looking down at his worn and dirty cowboy boots, shifting his weight from foot to foot; Duff pulled him close by his lithe waist, feeling the warmth of the redhead's body.

"Sorry, mom, just a minor turbulence and all that shit; hey guys, I want you to meet someone. This is Axl, my boyfriend".  
Duff almost expected his mom to faint right there and then on the busy airport, but Marie McKagan let out the loudest screech that could make anyone's ears bleed.

And immediately tackled Axl in a tight hug. The redhead genuinely looked surprised and directed his gaze towards the blond who just shrugged. 

"I'm so glad you could join us, Axl, right? Welcome to Seattle, honey, I'm Marie, but you can call me mom, no worries," Duff blinked twice; his brain suffered from a short circuit, and it was probably fried inside his skull. Marie wrapped her arm around the redhead's arm, and they walked towards the parking lot.

The confused look on Axl's face shouldn't amuse Duff like that, but it did; he widened his eyes and let Marie lead the way. At least the redhead was more comfortable with the blond's presence in the backseat; this time, Duff put his leather-clad hand on his thigh and smiled. He dismissed how Axl leaned his head on his shoulder.

**. . .**

The McKagan household was always bursting with energy since he remembered, always busy, and his mother's hands were full with eight rowdy kids, himself included, so Duff knew how overwhelming it must have been for Axl to step inside his childhood home.

The smell of homemade food hit the redhead in the face as soon as the door opened, causing Axl's stomach to growl indignantly with hunger, he couldn't remember when was the last time he ate something homemade instead of the takeout Chinese food or the pizza that tasted more like wet cardboard.

Duff's siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins were already waiting for them to eat; because of his flight, no one expected him to cook or set things up. The blond greeted everyone and could see some of his relatives whispering about the mysterious redhead by his side. 

Axl didn't take his cowboy boots off and didn't take the denim jacket off. He made a beeline towards the couch, brushing past one of his uncles, and propped his dirty boots on the little coffee table; even though his mom was excited he finally brought someone home, Duff could see her concerned face.

Duff sits down next to him, patting his thigh; one of Duff's sisters approached them and raised an eyebrow, smiling mischievously, crossing her arms; the blond bit the inside of his cheek.

"Didn't know you were into boys, Andy," she spoke sarcastically, watching every nervous twitch of his face and the distinctive telltale of a lie.

"I swing both ways, violently with a baseball bat, don't know what you're talking about" the blond itched to have a cigarette, but his mom didn't condone smoking inside the house. 

"Then you won't have a problem in kissing him" Duff should stop accepting stupid dares just because he wanted to prove a point; he glanced at Axl, his eyes widened, almost bulging out of his skull, the blond thought they would roll on the carpet, and swallowed audibly.

"Yeah, Duff, kiss him," teased his aunt; damn, was his family conspiring against him? Gone was any chance of having a normal dinner, he expected some insane shit tonight.

Duff inched closer to the redhead; his lips glistened with the strawberry chapstick, could feel his hot breath against his face, this close he could see his golden eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks; the blond's hammering heart beating loudly, he closed his eyes and hoped for the best. 

His sister's brown eyes held a naughty glint, looking at them expectantly and with the most insufferable smirks ever.

"Dinner's ready!"

The blond never felt so relieved. Saved by the bell, or in this case, by a turkey. He looked at Axl, and he sighed with an awkward smile.

When everyone sat down at the table, his siblings didn't side-eyed the redhead; his aunts didn't even look a little bit scandalized when Axl grabbed the bottle of wine all for himself and even drank directly from it.

The conversations around the table were already forgotten and reduced to mere mumbling when the plates were filled with food.

"So, Axl, what did you do for a living?" her mom smiled and glanced at the redhead, who was stuffing his cheeks with a forkful of mashed potatoes.

"Well, I work at a bar, that's where I met Duffy. He was dancing all sexy, and that caught my eye," added Axl with a sultry voice; Duff almost choke on his wine, and he coughed violently, a hand over his mouth.

"It's been difficult to hold a job with the juvie record I have or without a high school degree. No one wants a felon to hold a more important job," answered Axl, shamelessly and tossing his glossy hair aside with his ring clad fingers.

"You have a juvie record?; that's sick," one of his brothers quipped amused, and his mom nudged him in the ribs and directed him a dangerous look.

"Yeah, I have charges for public intoxication, criminal trespass, and a bunch of other stuff."

Duff didn't know if everything that was coming out of the redhead's mouth was the truth. But it sure would rattle his family, just a tiny bit; Axl became more talkative when the bottle of wine was half-empty, his cheeks tinted red.

"Well, I think people should be more lenient with young men like you, Axl. The world is transforming, so we can hope for the best." Marie smiled, maybe Duff's plan wasn't a success, but at least he didn't feel alone.

After dinner, the redhead was once again approached by Marie, who handed him a box with bright blue wrapping paper and a big bow; Axl accepted it reluctantly and smiled awkwardly. 

"I'm so glad Duff brought someone home; I took the liberty to buy you a welcome gift, hope it fits, and you like it," Marie patted him on the shoulder and went directly to the kitchen.

Inside the box, he found a knitted grey sweater. It was probably too big for his slim body. Axl's heart melts at the thought of the older woman buying something for him, a mere stranger. He felt guilty to lie to Duff's family; they seemed nice enough.

"You want a smoke, honey?" Duff patted his pocket where the Marlboro's red rested in the pocket of his shirt; with his other hand, he held a glass of wine. The ginger nodded, tucking the sweater back into the box, grabbing his can of Budweiser.

They went to the backyard, leaving Duff's relatives booming voices behind; once outside, the blond sighed and lighted the vice, sagging his shoulders and letting the nicotine fill his lungs; he tossed the pack to the ginger.

"Sorry if all of this is overwhelming and for my sister being nosy," Duff did a hand gesture, the cigarette between his fingers. "You think they're buying it?"   
Axl toyed with the lighter, the orange flame flickering on and off.

"Sure, I mean your sister kinda scared me, not gonna lie," the redhead shrugged, taking a swig from his beer.

"You have a nice family, blondie; to me, it doesn't look that bad," Axl glanced at the blond; he was a gentle giant. He still got excited when he saw his mom; the ginger shifted his eyes towards the clear night sky above them, where stars gleamed weakly.

"They have their moments; last time I brought someone, mom shredded my ex to pieces; everyone was criticizing the way she dressed, talked, and even use the cutlery," Duff shook his head and gave the cigarette a drag. 

"Asking my payment in food it's the best decision I've ever made, could fall into a food coma" 

"And you haven't tried the pumpkin pie, personal recipe, my recipe may I add," beamed the blond, eyeing his companion with a proud gleam in his eyes.

Axl remained silent; his thoughts once again drifted to the way Duff's family welcomed him. He never expected this.   
"I never asked you about the ad" Duff broke the spell. He felt buzzed on the wine, his cheeks flushed red.

The redhead liked his gentle voice. He could hear him recite the damn phone book, and he'd have all his attention.

"It was supposed to be a joke, Izzy and I put two, one outside The Roxy and the other on a shitty biker bar, never thought someone would call, we were shitfaced," Axl shrugged, cigarette dangling from his lips, the smoke billowing.

Duff laughed loudly, and it was a contagious sound, making the ginger smile.

"But why?"

"I always spend thanksgiving alone since I moved out of Lafayette, Izzy's the only one to go back and spend time with his family; I don't want to go back there until I'm someone and rub it on the face of my stepfather; don't make that face, I didn't tell you all of this so you can pity me."

Axl focused his attention back on the blond; his eyes held a venomous glare.

"You don't like your family?" Duff threw the butt of his cigarette and stomp it.

"My family, it's an actual nightmare; I don't want to spend over five minutes with them, let alone an entire dinner," Axl ran a hand through his face; the bracelets jingled.

"If you think about it, it's just a bullshit holiday," added Duff with his honeyed voice; Axl looked down at the dry, yellowish grass under his feet. 

"We took somebody's land in a bloody war, but now, we celebrate with sunshine and rainbows, and we're supposed to be thankful for our family and loved ones. There's nothing to be thankful for," Duff shrugged and licked his lips, tasting the bitter nicotine and sweetness of the wine.

"For a bullshit holiday, then" Axl raised his can of beer, and Duff clinked his glass against it and smiled.

The couple entered the house; Duff felt too damn tired and went   
to his old bedroom to finally call it a day; at least his mom reserved it just for them.

And the blond had never been that grateful; Axl went to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

He exited the bathroom; gone was the bold shimmering eyeshadow, leaving his face bare; he looked so soft and innocent with a pair of loose flannel pants and a ratty Thin Lizzy oversized shirt. 

Duff catch a glimpse of the bold black and colorful ink of his tattoo's decorating his pale arms, he thought it was badass, he just had one in his arms.

Axl found Duff dumping blankets over the couch in the corner, near his closet; the redhead sat down the edge of the mattress and grabbed the pig plushie resting between the pillows, hugging it close to his chest. He furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the blond.

"What are you doing?" Axl shoots him a quizzical look and twirled the pig's curly tail between his fingers repeatedly.

"I'm gonna sleep on the couch; you can take the bed," Duff said matter of fact with those innocent brown eyes of his like a deer stuck in the headlights "I don't want you to be uncomfortable; you can take my bed."

"Don't be ridiculous, Duff, you have a big ass bed, C'mere, we can both fit in here; I don't bite," the redhead wiggled his eyebrows, and the scandalized look the blond shot him was enough. 

"I don't have any problem with sleeping on the couch."

"C'mon, baby, don't be a bad boyfriend and sleep next to me; it's freezing and I don't want to sleep all alone." Axl pouted his lips, pleading with his eyes; he shouldn't look this adorable clutching the stuffed animal. 

The bastard was getting too cocky, and he kinda liked that attitude on him.

"Seriously, I don't have any inconvenience with sleeping on the couch, you don't have to worry" Duff pleaded, he wanted to avoid an embarrassing situation with the redhead, sometimes he talked in his sleep, drool on his pillow, or worse, he could have a fucking morning wood. 

Axl huffed, rolling his eyes and climbing towards the bed, turning the bedside lamp off; the room was instantly bathed in darkness, only the slight light from the moon filtered through the curtains. 

It was freezing, and Duff wrapped the blankets tightly against his body, they were doing a shitty job in keeping him warm; his teeth grinding against each other, shivering.

Axl got up, kicking the comforter exasperatedly, and approached him, grabbing him by the arm, muttering something under his breath.

"Are you done being ridiculous? For fucks sake just sleep in the damn bed" Axl leads him into the bed. The redhead dumped the extra blankets over him.

Duff gave Axl enough space between them, so their bodies wouldn't touch. He didn't even protest when the bastard laid down cuddling his favorite plush.

"Keep your damn cold feet away from me, Michael," whined Axl, and Duff whimpered. It was going to be a long night; the blond turned the bedside lamp off and cover himself with the comforter until it reached his chin.


	2. So hot you're hurting my feelings.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last day of all this madness, and then he'll be free, Duff couldn't wait to board the plane and be back to his monotonous life with Slash in their crappy shared apartment, where the toilet didn't work most of the time, and the shower didn't drain properly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't want to finish this, I have too much fun writing it, I hope I deliver with this and y'all like it as much as the first one; Thanks so much for the positive reviews every single one of them motivates me to keep writing.  
> This chapter title comes from Caroline Polachek's song of the same name.  
> Thanks for the bottom of my heart for reading, I'll see you soon, now I have to go back to my cave and decide if I'm gonna do a Christmas fic haha 💜💜

Axl feels too warm under the duvets; sand still on his eyes. There's a pair of heavy arms around his waist. One long leg draped over his body, his back against someone's sturdy chest, and something suspiciously hard pressing against the curve of his ass. He heard a muffled moan from behind.

It's so damn good to have someone in the bed, and no, it's not because sometime's he's afraid of the dark.

 _Wait, what the fuck?_ Axl's body went stiff. He snapped his eyes open, suddenly feeling wide awake, while Duff nuzzled against his red hair. The redhead found himself tangled in the ridiculous big body of the bassist; he tried to push away the arms without waking the other up. He squirms for a minute and sighs, defeated.

The blond whimpered in his sleep and tightened his grip, pulling him closer to his chest, causing his erection to rub tantalizingly close to his butt. Axl suppressed a mewl by biting at his knuckles. 

The ginger peered behind; Duff was dead to the world, he shouldn't look that cute with his blond locks plastered on his forehead and a little drool dribbling from his parted lips. Not when his cock was pressed against him, and it felt _big_ , like the rest of his body, he is sure God took a little more time and effort in making him, or he just won the genetic lottery.

All the commotion woke the blond, who peeled one bleary, chocolate-brown eye open, his gaze unfocused and eyelids heavy, until it landed on Axl, who blinked twice, dumbfounded. Duff's eyes widened, and he bolted out of his bed, his heart racing anxiously. He swallowed and grabbed a pillow to cover the obvious erection tenting the soft material of his pajama bottoms.

Axl smirked, reminding the blond of a fox preying on a bird waiting to make its move; he got off the bed and walked towards the bassist, shoving him on the wall.

The ginger stared intently at Duff's slightly chapped lips, memorizing the shape of his cupid's bow, the shadow of his beard on his chin, and the slight furrow of his brows; Axl swallowed hard and, without a second thought, crashed their lips together, mouths moving in tandem, Duff's warm mouth leaving him breathless.

The ginger's fiery hair glowing with the sun and cascading down his shoulders, the cheap cross that dangled on his neck was digging at the blond's chest.

Their foreheads pressed together until their noses bumped annoyingly. Duff feels like being pulled into a magnet, Axl's teeth scraping and biting his bottom lip; the ginger slowly slides his hands on his hair, a gentle, firm hand tangled in his bleached blond locks, blunt fingernails scratching his scalp. 

Duff's hair was so soft between his digits; it reminded him of a feather-like texture. It made the blond moan.

"What? Does that feel good?" the ginger teased with a leer on his face, eyes half-lidded and his voice oh so low it had Duff's dick twitch inside the soft cotton material of his briefs.

The ginger pawed at his chest, urging him to take the thin shirt off, it was too small for someone his size, constantly riding up his belly; Duff's big, calloused hands sneaked on his slender hips.

Axl took off his shirt, crossing his arms over his waist in that little cute way girls do, revealing his lean chest. Duff saw the shadow of his ribs sticking out, sharp collarbones, the gleaming nipple ring, and the hint of abs.

"Maybe... we shouldn't," Duff pulled away, lips swollen and red, glistening with their mixed saliva, his eyebrows slightly furrowed; Axl rolled his eyes, Duff's hands were kneading the perfect peach of his ass.

The realization of what was going on hit Duff square in the face like a freight train; he tried to get away from the redhead, but the bedsheets tangled in the blond's long legs, and he ended on the carpeted floor.

The beige carpet muffled the thud; he couldn't handle the teasing from his family after last night. His relatives probably thought they were fucking upstairs; Axl chuckled, a hand under his chin. The little devil almost looked innocent, like a kid after successfully steal a cookie from the jar without being caught.

"Didn't take you for a cuddler, Duffy; you need help with that?" taunted the ginger, a smirk on his lips. He pointed to Duff's still-raging erection. 

The ginger put back on the oversized shirt, covering his pale shoulders dotted with freckles and moles; the bassist swallowed audibly and shifted his gaze to the ground. It shouldn't be legal to be this attractive first thing in the morning.

Axl kept staring at him; his green eyes bore into the bassist. There was something so vulnerable in seeing Duff with his pajamas, his mussed, messy soft hair. Well, he had a hand in messing with the strands. The blond averted his gaze from him; he didn't believe any of what happened was real.

"Can I give you a hickey?" blurts out the redhead, back on the bed and splayed like a starfish, his feet dangling over the edge.

"It's too early for this; I'm never drinking wine again," Duff muttered with his face hidden between his hands, his erection painfully hard. Wine just made him horny, and combining it with Axl's presence wasn't the best idea.

"Oh c'mon, imagine the look on your mom's face" Axl twirled a strand of his red hair on his finger in a flirty way.

Duff concentrated all his will on making his erection go away; he even thought about old Doris tanning on the roof of their building. That image was seared into his brain and traumatized him for life, but nothing helped. And Axl looking at him with those penetrating, lustful eyes didn't help at all.

"Duffy!, breakfast" yelled her mother from downstairs, once again saved by the promise of more food.

It was the first time in a while he woke up next to someone. He will not count all the times Slash slept with him because he had been too drunk to go to his own bed; the blond felt grateful to have brought Axl, for the simple blissfulness of waking up in his childhood home with someone in his bed. 

Axl said nothing and grabbed his towels from the backpack, locking himself in the bathroom for close to two hours, Duff didn't know if he was still acting or he just took his sweet time in the shower; the redhead didn't return to the room. 

Last day of all this madness, and then he'll be free, Duff couldn't wait to board the plane and be back to his monotonous life with Slash in their crappy shared apartment, where the toilet didn't work most of the time, and the shower didn't drain properly.

Duff jumped straight into the shower. He let the ice-cold water wash away all of those thoughts, but the image of Axl shoving him against the wall and the feeling of his luscious lips against his never left his mind. 

The fucker made a space between every crevice in his mind; he dominated every thought his brain could come up with; Duff dried his hair with a fluffy towel and got dressed in something comfy. 

As soon as he exited his room, he could hear laughter and muffled voices from downstairs. He found the ginger already at the table with his mom, a scorching cup of coffee in front of him, and a piece of apple pie fresh from the oven. 

They were talking pretty amicable, and it raised Duff's suspicion, there in front of his mother was a bulky photo album, the one she always kept safe in the closet; she was showing Axl some of his baby photos. A hot flash passed through the blond's body. Suddenly his sweatshirt became too tight and uncomfortable.

"You were an adorable baby, honey; what happened to you?" teased the redhead, sipping from his ceramic cup and holding up an embarrassing photo. 

Duff was probably two years old, sitting in the tub, naked as the day he was born and smiling directly at the camera.

"Mom, I'm an adult. I don't need you to embarrass me in front of my boyfriend," Duff whined and massaged the bridge of his nose, his cheeks burning up. The torture was far from over.

"He still is, always my baby, although he's much taller than me now. Maybe we can watch some home videos before you guys leave," Marie clasped her hands together, and her eyes gleamed excitedly. She always dotes on him, the perks of being the baby of the family.

"I dig the idea," remarked Axl; Duff is sure he only agreed to spite him and laugh at his predicament. The blond smiled awkwardly, although he was dying a little inside.

Axl smirked and got up, getting on his tippy toes to plant a peck on his cheek; his mom cooed at the couple and closed the album. The ginger was enjoying this petty act too much; he wore a thick grey sweater, too big on his skinny body, and a red flannel shirt tied around his waist.

Duff sat down in front of the ginger, and his relatives gathered around the table; every so often, their eyes would meet, or the redhead's foot would brush against Duff's, and Axl gave a little smirk. The blond returned it, a cheeky smile curving his lips like they were talking, a language only the couple could understand.

After everyone finished breakfast, and the table remained silent, with the only exception of the T. V in the background, Axl cleared his throat and looked directly at Duff, licking his lips, a little pink tongue darting over his bottom lip.

"Well, first things first, I'm not drunk. I wanted to thank everyone for being so welcoming and for accepting me in the family, I love Duff so much, and this was a big step in our relationship. This entire holiday is bullshit, but I'm really glad I met you guys. Hope to see everyone on Christmas again." 

Axl gets up, the chair grating on the polished wood of the dining room, and he walked towards Duff, dropping to his knee. The blond could hear the gasps from his relatives echoing.

"Will you marry me, Michael?" the ginger produced a silver ring from his back pocket. He had a cocky smile, sarcastic even.

" _What the fuck are you doing?_ " hissed the blond between his teeth, while he kept a smile on his face; to not raise suspicion.

" _Kiss me while everyone's watching, dumbass,_ " sneered the ginger as quietly as possible.

Duff nodded and leaned, lips hovering over Axl's for a few seconds before he closed the agonizing gap between them. Their lips barely brushing, so different from the heated kiss in his bedroom. It was just a soft press, and Duff's entire body froze before it was ignited with a dangerous spark.

Axl's mouth was intoxicating, and the blond felt unable to pull away. The redhead slides the ring on his finger; he bites his bottom lip, suppressing his laugh. His family clapped and cheered, his mother hugged Axl tightly, and his aunts wanted to see the cheap silver ring.

Duff felt butterflies in his belly. He tried to think it was the nervousness causing them to flutter violently, and not the fact that the redhead looked good with that mischievous smirk and his green eyes sparkling with glee.

The bassist had to recognize it; Axl had plenty of charm. All he needed to do was to bat his eyelashes the right way or pout his lips to have everyone by his feet. He saw the way some of his sisters gawked at him; if their family wasn't buying the whole schtick, well, now they certainly will.

After breakfast, Duff packed his things, done with the whole situation. He took some t-shirts he forgot when he left for a better life in L. A; he would end up cutting the sleeves as a statement.

Axl looked pretty satisfied with his emotional speech and proposal, even though after that, he got into a heated argument with his uncle about religion; and criticized his aunt's dress she wore. He kept making nasty comments here and there, disguised with a sarcastic smile and a venomous gleam in his eyes.

Behind that innocent smile and boyish face, he was a demon, a little minx. He was a good kisser and knew what he was doing; fucking little tease. That kiss left Duff's brain feel like mush, confusing him further.

"I'm happy for you, Michael," said his mom from the door, making him flinch, her arms crossed, and her features softened. She only called him by his first name if he did something wrong, "I mean, Mandy was cute; I liked her, but Axl is cuter; I'm sure he will take good care of you."

He nodded, and for a moment, Duff almost fell for the lie. Axl could be a great boyfriend, but this was only a business arrangement and nothing else. He felt impossibly guilty; couldn't believe he didn't have the guts to confess to his mom this entire ordeal was fake.

Marie insisted on packing leftovers for them, but he refused, no matter how much Axl pouted. Although it was only a one-hour flight, he wouldn't carry a Tupperware filled with apple pie or stuffing.

His family kept talking and Axl would interrupt with an annoying, rude comment, but Duff found it funny when his cousin started screaming about politics. It was the most fun the blond had in a while.

"You sure you want to leave, Blondie? I think I can still fight with your uncle or your cousin. I saw him making a face when we kissed; Shake him up a little," Axl did a hand gesture. He safely tucked all his bracelets in the backpack hanging from his shoulders. 

"You already did enough with that proposal; at least I have the photos as proof if mom asks about you on Christmas" Duff rolled his eyes, unamused and a little embarrassed. His mom couldn't drive them to the airport, and they had to take a cab.

Duff hugged his mom goodbye and promised to call more often; he didn't want to worry her; sometimes Slash and he couldn't even pay the bills with his job at the restaurant, but promised it nonetheless. So he could leave in peace.

Before leaving, Axl hugged everyone in the house, elongating the act to make sure it was super awkward; Duff had to suppress his chuckle with a cough.

During the flight back home, Axl found excuses to brush his slender fingers against Duff's and kept talking nonstop; to keep Duff's mind busy. For the blond, it appeared the smaller man just loved to hear his voice.

Axl got overexcited and passionate when he talked about music and how David Bowie was a god-like creature for him. This way, he coaxed him into opening up a little about his childhood. 

And how he experienced life once he stepped foot in Los Angeles. He talks the same way he kisses, passionately, and with intensity.

The redhead showed him a picture of the two cats he kept in his wallet. One of them, Dijon, had the same resting bitch face Axl often did, and it helped, but Duff refused to acknowledge it.

The gloomy and depressive sight of Los Angeles never felt better; icy rain fell on the pavement from dark grey clouds that covered the sun. He was back in his second home; Duff inhaled the pollution in the air and never felt more at home.

Axl didn't bring back what happened in the four walls of the blond's bedroom, and he didn't know what to think about it; he pushed the kiss in the back of his mind. A kiss was like a glass of water, no one could deny it, and it's not like Duff wanted more.

"I don't know how to thank you for all you've done" Duff scratched the back of his head, tossing his blond mane, he had the weird, but totally expected, strong urge to kiss Axl's cheek, but he pushed it away.

"It's whatever, dude, I did it for the free food, and I had a good time; you have a nice family, Duff, it's not the typical cookie-cutter stuff; that's what makes it special." the blond tried not to think on the kiss or in Axl on his bed, sleeping peacefully while cuddling his favorite pig plush.

Duff had established it from the very beginning that Axl was a handsome young man, and him putting up the act of rebel and caring boyfriend made him look more attractive to Duff.

"Well, I have work tomorrow, and I have to see Erin, she's taking care of my babies, and she's probably fed up with them; I hope I made a good impression. Maybe you can use my services for any upcoming event; or recommend me with your friends," Axl tapped his foot on the wet pavement in a little puddle, tilting his head to the right like an expectant puppy seeking approbation or a scratch behind his ears.

"Sure, man, I have your number and everything," Duff gave him a thumbs up, an awkward smile crept on his lips.

"Christmas is right around the corner after all" the ginger outstretched his hands towards the towering bassist; Duff's palm engulfs Axl's in his own. His hands are ridiculously large and so fucking warm.

"You're right, well let's see" Duff smacked himself mentally and   
cursed his talent for making everything awkward.

They stood outside the airport in uncomfortable silence with just the sound of the rain falling with more force and the busy airport.

"Sorry for the kiss in my bedroom. We never discussed it as part of the plan, and it might be weird," Duff shook his head, feeling like he was digging his grave deeper. This whole thing is strictly platonic; they both got what they wanted and nothing else.

"No problem, blondie, a guy just as handsome as you are more than welcome to kiss me. I took it as practice for the important speech," Axl winked at him, his lips stretching into a half-smile.

And if Duff didn't know better, that could probably pass for flirting. Axl was flirting with him; this wasn't part of the deal in the slightest. Blaring sirens went off inside his mind.

"Ummm, one last thing, yesterday, you say that there was nothing to be thankful for, and you're wrong, there's something: I'm thankful for meeting you, I really am, so..." Axl swallowed and kissed him on the cheek, lips glossy from the strawberry chapstick, Duff closed his eyes, and the redhead's lips lingered close to the soft skin on the bassist's cheek.

Duff found it so cute that he had to stand on his tippy toes every time to reach him; he's so small compared to him; it was borderline ridiculous. 

The blond nodded, and he couldn't fight off the broad smile. There was just a glimpse of hope at the end of the tunnel. Axl left on a bus, and the blond tried to ignore the butterflies fluttering in the pit of his stomach.

He made a mental note to thank Slash and his ridiculous, drunken but good suggestions when his friend came back from his grandma's house. Duff clutched the silver ring in his hand.

Duff forgot to mention to the redhead it was probably the best Thanksgiving ever since he was a child, and his parents divorced...

**. . .**

Christmas was approaching faster than Duff thought. His job at the restaurant had been so demanding; he didn't realize. 

Weeks had passed since he saw Axl; every time his mom called, she asked about the redhead; Duff didn't have the heart to even create an elaborate lie or think of a sob story about their breakup; he didn't have the guts to call him again.

Although the photos and the damn ring rested on the mirror of his vanity like prized possessions, Slash teased him about it nonstop since he came back.

The brunet had caught him staring dreamily at the photos when he thought no one was looking. Not to mention Slash was beyond tired of hearing about how great this Axl fellow was.

Slash urged him to call and fuck it out or at least invite Axl to dinner; in reality, Duff had been terrified. He never had a problem with dating girls, but Axl was part of uncharted territory. He hadn't thought about it so well.

After extensive research, with the help of Slash, and a bribe of washing the dishes for a month, he found the exact bar Axl worked at; and after a half-empty bottle of vodka, he found enough courage to step inside the dingy bar; he slides the silver band on his ring finger.

For being that late, the bar wasn't as crowded as he imagined; the music wasn't loud; the lights were dimmed, his brown eyes darted over the place. It was mostly empty, just a few loner guys here and there with their glasses of beer empty.

Duff sat on an uncomfortable stool; people were busy with late Christmas shopping, and all they wanted was to be back at home in the company of their family, enjoy the holidays.

He heard the booming voices of a group of friends in the back, laughing at whatever they were talking about; the blond's eyes darted around the place in hopes to encounter Axl.

The redhead was wiping some glasses with a worn white rag attached to his apron. His red hair falling on his shoulders, and a blue bandana resting on his forehead, keeping his hair in place when he noticed someone at the bar; he left the glasses and went straight to offer a drink.

"What can I get you?" he asked in that pleasant, deep voice, his slender, ring-clad fingers tapping over the polished wood; it made Duff smile. He stared directly at the redhead, and the blond could see the bulb go off inside his head.

"Just a beer, Budweiser. But, I'm looking for my fiancé; we were supposed to go on a date." Duff probably shouldn't drink more; he already had enough, the blond raised his hand and show him the ring, Axl couldn't fight off the smile, and he looked down.

"Oh, I know him; he said to tell you that his shift ends in ten minutes if you want to wait." the redhead glanced at the clock perched high on the wall and back at Duff, batting his eyelashes.

"Thought you wouldn't remember me," Duff admitted, in a lower voice, almost a whisper, too fucking scared and hoping that Axl didn't hear him.

"How could I forget you; you flew me to Seattle, fed me some terrific food, and your mother gave me a nice sweater. And above all, that handsome face is unforgettable," Axl leaned on the counter, winking at him.

Under the low lights and without a trace of makeup, it made him look young like he never grew out of his baby fat and boyish features.

His face was just a few inches apart; if any of them positioned themselves and closed the distance between them, they could kiss. Duff turned his head the other way, unable to hold the ginger's gaze. 

"Well, I wanted to talk to you; can I maybe walk you home?" Duff scratched the nape of his neck and bite his bottom lip. The blond already kissed the guy, and Axl met his family; this shouldn't be that difficult.

 _Just spit it out, McKagan_ ; Duff mentally gave himself a smack in the back of his head. He felt a little nauseous from the nervousness eating at his insides.

Ten minutes later, they walk out of the bar. The ginger wore a mesh red shirt with nothing underneath, exposing his lean chest, a leather jacket, and what suspiciously appears to be a fucking ball gag as a necklace.

Duff averted his gaze from his nipple piercing; he ignored the thought that he wanted to fucking _lick it_ ; someone at a party once said that nipple piercings tasted like house keys, but oh well, there's no place like home. The blond shook his head, amazed at his thoughts.

Axl smoked in silence; all the blond could hear were his heavy cowboy boots clattering against the concrete; colorful Christmas lights decorated the roofs and palm trees of some nearby houses as they made their way towards the redhead's apartment.

"Thought you would be back in Seattle," Axl threw the butt of the cigarette on the sidewalk; it was still burning.

"I kinda wanted to talk to you about that, they're waiting for me... more like, they're waiting for _us_ ," Duff emphasized on the word 'us' his head sagged between his shoulders, and he cursed himself under his breath; Axl hummed in acknowledgment and crossed his arms around himself.

"You haven't 'broke up' with me yet?" Axl laughed loudly until tears slide down his sharp cheekbones. He eyed Duff, one of his trademark smirks adorning his lips, too full of himself, too cocky.

"Well, you were the one who said _I hope to see everyone on Christmas_ and proposed to me in front of my entire fucking family," Duff did an exaggerated imitation of the redhead; he even dropped his voice as low as it could go.

Axl didn't look amused, he looked pretty offended, and he smacked the blond on the arm.

"Ok, I get it, giraffe, it's my fault, but you're just as guilty as me; you didn't end things with me. And the proposal came with the contract, don't blame me."

"Do you already have plans for Christmas Eve?" Duff stuffed his hands in the pockets of his denim jacket, ignoring how being close to the redhead made him feel queasy and his pulse to rise significantly.

"My stepfather banned me from the house, so I planned to drink a lot of eggnog and watch crappy Christmas specials; Izzy left early this week, so I have the house all to myself. I love the bastard to death, but sometimes we need time apart from each other so we won't go crazy." 

Duff look sullenly at him, almost resembling a kicked puppy, and Axl rolled his eyes, chewing the inside of his cheek; the pity parties he throws for himself are enough. 

He doesn't need Duff's pity, not when he's a nice guy and impossibly handsome with his blond locks and big chocolate-brown eyes.

"Look, I know we don't know each other that well, but I haven't been able to forget your stupid face and your attractive lips; I think I'm falling for you," Blurted the blond out loud. 

"Then fuckin' get up, dude, but I totally understand; who wouldn't fall in love with me" the redhead rolled his eyes, lips curving in a broad smile, his cheeks tinted in a lovely shade of red.

"Besides, no one deserves to be alone on Christmas Eve." Duff stammered and cleared his throat, his stomach churning, a bead of sweat slide down his neck even though it was chilly outside.

Axl stopped in front of the old building of his apartment complex; Duff scratched the nape of his neck and averted his gaze away from the penetrating way the ginger looked at him.

"I'm going, with the only condition that we go on a date," Axl winked at him, fidgeting with the keys in his hand.

"You're right, I was thinking about a candlelit dinner by the beach, how about that?" the ginger approached him, wrapped his arms around his neck, his lips brushed against Duff's, his breath fanning over the blond's face.

Duff closed his eyes and finally kissed the redhead full on the lips; his mouth still felt intoxicating and warm. Just like that morning in his bedroom. The difference was that this time it doesn't feel like a mistake. The blond didn't feel guilty.

Axl was the one to pull away, regaining his breath, his eyes still closed and mouth agape, mind still processing what the hell just happened.

"A candlelit dinner sounds nice, now that you mention it; you want to come in? I have the house to myself, and I'm gonna watch a rerun of Taxi Driver." Axl had an alluring look on his face; he was so hot it hurt Duff's feelings. 

Duff nodded, still feeling drunk on the kiss. He swore he could see fireworks; the blond stepped inside the apartment; it was getting colder outside. As soon as the blond closed the door, Axl was all over him, biting his neck and leading him to his bedroom. Both of them forgot the movie.

It was more than enough, with the almost bare Christmas tree decorating the sparse living room casting colorful shadows in the dead of night; the temperature dropped through the night, and Axl had no problem in keeping him warm.

**. . .**

The snow kept falling outside as the night progressed, the temperature dropping, the chimney, and the heather appeared to be working nonstop.

Duff wrapped himself in the matching sweater his mother gifted him as he watched Axl decorate the tree with tinsel and various ornaments.

He had a tough time decorating the top, and Duff watched as he struggled; the matching sweater slides up, revealing the silver of his skin and the cute red happy trail below his navel. The blond snorted and his boyfriend glared at him under his adorable bangs.

"Stop laughing at me and help me, giraffe," deadpanned the redhead, huffing and crossing his arms.

No matter how much he wanted to look offended, it was impossible. With his red Santa hat and ugly sweater, every time he moved the little bell on top of his hat jingled.

"I'll prefer to see you struggle a bit more," Duff smiled cheekily, and the ginger threw an ornament at him. Landing on the bassist's face, Axl went back to decorate the tree. 

Duff walked towards the seething redhead, his hands firmly on his hips, and scooped him up like he weighed nothing; Axl squealed but didn't protest his arms around the blond's neck. 

The ginger put the star at the tip of the tree; because he was the newest member of the family, he had the privilege to do it.

"Ok, now put me down, Michael" Duff would never get used to him using his actual name. The blond watched him with a smile; before wiggling his eyebrows.

Axl whined and look above, on top of the ceiling, the traitorous fucking mistletoe rested, he saw Duff and his siblings put them up on ridiculous places.

Even in the damn bathroom and he had to kiss the blond with his mouth full of toothpaste, the ginger knew that this whole plan was made specifically to conspire against him.

"You know what that means, babe" Axl had his jaw clenched, but he kissed him anyway; it was just a tiny peck, but Duff could never get enough of those lips or his warm body against his chest. His fiery hair tickled him on the chin.

"Can you stop making out for a second? This tree will not decorate itself, I preferred when you two were pretending to date." quipped one of Duff's sisters, plopping down on the couch.

Axl took advantage of the situation and kissed the blond again, this time more heated, and flipped her off playfully; Duff heard her sister make gagging sounds. 

Duff pulled away before things escalated quickly. If they wanted to continue, they had to wait until everyone was sleeping and be quieter.

Axl's moans almost woke the entire house last night. It had been embarrassing, and Duff swore they won't talk about it again.

"Axl! Come take a picture with us!" yelled Marie from outside, Duff put him down, not before smacking his ass. Her sister rolled her eyes from her place on the couch.

"No matter what I say or do, your family apparently loves me," the ginger rolled his eyes, Duff would never get over how cute and small Axl was; he took advantage of that fact more than one time.

"You made a good impression, babe, not my fault."

Duff suggested maybe they could spend New Year with the redhead's family, but his boyfriend just shrugged it off. He only met the redhead's siblings through phone calls, small steps. 

At least Izzy gave them his blessing when the couple started dating, not before threatening the blond with castrating him if he ever dared to hurt Axl.

In a couple of days, they would go back to their apartment, eating takeout at the counter, watching movies, and cuddling on the moth-eaten couch in the living room.

But meanwhile, Duff cherished every moment with his boyfriend while in his childhood house, Axl's eyes sparkled and he smiled more. The blond couldn't truly ask for more.

"You seem happy, Andy," her sister says, and she's right; he's never been happier.

"I am," Duff agrees with his sister, on the rare occasion they coincide, as he watched Axl pose with his family outside, snow falling on his red hair, cameras appear to love him, Duff's never seen a bad photo from him. "I really am."


End file.
